AG|WPJA The Artistic Guild of the WPJA

Judges Comment: Engagements are one of my favorite categories and this quarters entries didn't let me down! What a great idea to take a couple to a bowling alley. The retro look, and awesome processing made this image stand out. One hint, separation between the couple's faces (making their face shapes work for you instead of merging) may make this image even better. Congrats on the great location and stellar image.

Judges Comment: Beautiful, shallow depth of focus, de-saturated toning and simple moment bring this image to the forefront. Another grate location to work in with a cool couple willing to take a risk. Great use of a tilt-shift lens!

Judges Comment: This intimate moment makes me feel like it's a movie still and I'm waiting to hear what they are staying to each other. Good timing on the light coming across the woman's face and giving me a hint of the man's face as well. The dark tones and simple color palette really work well.

Judges Comment: A quiet moment between two people can be easily overshadowed by layers of actions and heavy toning. 'Thanks' to the photographer for keeping it real by taking the image B&W and giving it a hint of tone.

Judges Comment: Cross-processing really makes this image come alive. A bit more burning on the couples' faces would help the image out. Good composition, angling the couple a bit, also helps move the eye around the image.

Judges Comment: The red dress and the de-saturated toning of the blocks really play off of one another well. Keeping the blocks at an angle, not perfectly vertical also helps drive your eye from the top to the bottom of the image. Excellent location selection!

Judges Comment: The sky has really nice angled toning from a deeper blue on the left to lighter on the right. Straightening the horizon as well as removing the tree in the middle window would clean this image up.

Judges Comment: Reminiscent of a classic Philipe Halsman, this image has great energy. The brushwork is nice but should have been slightly erased from their faces.

Judges Comment: Big Tex! is callin' your name! Nice silhouette of all subjects involved in the image. Good toning on the sky as well. Attention to little details in the image would make it even stronger. The flag in between the couple shoulders could be removed or centered in the space, the ropes that hold Big Tex up are distracting, especially the one going through the couple's heads, it's easy to remove and would really clean up the image.

Judges Comment: A great use of late light results in a killer proposal shadow! The image needs to be warmed up to compliment the moment, remove the cyan from the shadows, clean up the shadow area between the couple and you have a sweet image!

Judges Comment: A nice moment between the couple is accentuated by location and toning a beautiful sky. I have one suggestion, watch those fingers, they can make or break an image...burn the grooms fingers down and your good to go:)

Judges Comment: This image could have benefited from pulling the cyan out of the shadows. Warm up the image, pull some magenta out of the skin tones and voila, complete. Great concept!

Judges Comment: Nice styling with the wagon and good use of actions make the image. The butt squeeze is cute and bound to be loved by the engaged couple. The border feels a bit heavy because of the heavy vignette on the image and could stand to be made a bit thinner.

Judges Comment: The semi-circular motion blur coupled with some great color is completed with a kiss. Some minimal burning on the foreground arm would definitely improve the image.

Judges Comment: I really like the inside/out composition of this image. My only suggestion would be removing the blotches of white of the grooms face as well as the white area on his shirt.

Judges Comment: This has a great texture layer(s), an interesting b&w tone but it's too overwhelming. My eye dances around the frame and eventually finds the couple. Back off the treatment a bit and this image would be gorgeous!